As a lifelong linguaphile, I have been an AWAD addict ever since its inception.
I was intrigued to learn that the word surgeon (archaic spelling: chirurgeon)
is derived from Greek chiro- (hand). Interesting to note that the word for
surgeon in Russian is khirurg.

Interestingly, several languages still use the older form for "surgeon"
-- for instance, Czech, where the word is "chirurg".

Charlie Cockey, Brno, Czech Republic

From: Marek Boym (marekboym walla.com)
Subject: Surgeon

I did not know that it had ever been spelled "chirurgeon" in English.
However, in Polish it is chirurg, as it is in German, Dutch, Russian,
and probably other languages. In French it's chirurgien, in Italian --
chirurgo, and so on and so on. In Scandinavian languages, the "ch" in
the beginning of the word is replaced by "k". I assume that the archaic
spelling derives from the French form.

A lingering mystery for scientists is the nearly total absence of
"right-handed" amino acids in earth's inhabitants (the designation of
right- and left-handed is arbitrary). Although we now catalogue the chiral
molecules that produce today's lefties, no plausible hypothesis of their
origin explains an unequal mix. Neither does any accepted hypothesis
explain the disappearance of the "wrong" half, if it ever existed.

John A. Laswick, Springfield, Illinois

From: Melanie Kacin (melaniek19 gmail.com)
Subject: Chiral

I was studying for my organic chemistry final (or I was supposed to be)
and was pleasantly surprised to find this word in my inbox. Chirality is
something we've been studying (so maybe I don't have to feel too guilty
about this study break).

Which brings me back to the etymology of the word. My professor, when
trying to explain chirality and enantiomers, stuck out her hands and
showed us that while similar, they are non-superimposable. Little did I
know that her example was so close to the actual etymology! What a lovely
way to connect two of my favorite things: words and chemistry.

The word "chiral" is confusing even with the usual picture of two hands
astride a mirror plane because a critical element is implied but not
totally obvious: a "real" hand has a palm and a back, and that is critical
to non-superimposability. If you just look at the cartoon, it looks like
folding it like a book through the mirror plane perfectly superimposes one
mirror image onto the other. But if you add a label to each side of each
hand, when you try to superimpose them you quickly realize that it's not
possible because when the gross two dimensional shapes are superimposed
the palms and backs aren't.

The concept is actually easier to understand when expressed slightly
differently: if an object does not fit into a glove designed for its mirror
image, the object is chiral. Hands are chiral because a right hand does
not fit a glove for the left hand, but a head is achiral because it and
its mirror image both fit the same hat. I have taught organic chemistry
for many years, and this concept is central to understanding much of
biochemistry -- amino acids, proteins, DNA, RNA, neurotransmitters,
membrane lipids, drugs, steroids, and practically everything we are made
up of are all chiral. It is also one of the most difficult concepts for new
students to really understand, in part because it usually isn't explained
very well.

Each year at the beginning of Chinese New Year, you need to give lai see
to everyone you know and this
can be anyone whether office colleague or building concierge. The
amount of money depends on factors ranging from age to marital status to
if they perform a service for you. There are even guidelines that you can
find online which indicate who should be paid how much cash.

You are not supposed to use coins and the local banks typically put up
signs saying when they will start giving out notes. Quite an interesting
custom that we have adopted after moving to Hong Kong three years ago.

Kirti Manian, Hong Kong

From: Earl Sampson (esampson post.harvard.edu)
Subject: handsel

There is (or was) a Greek tradition of giving the children in a family a
handsel (in Greek kalo chairi or "good hand") on New Year's Day. All the
adults would hide a silver dollar (or a folded dollar bill when silver
dollars became harder to come by) in their palm and call the children to
shake that hand to get the dollar and wish them Chronia Polla (many years).

Also Italian (a mano a mano) for bit-by-bit -- the song by Riccardo Cocciante
is one of the saddest I know. Helps if you speak Italian.
(video, 4 min.)

Michael Keating, Villereau, France

From: Mario Nunez (kpit2002 gmail.com)
Subject: mano a mano

In Spanish, if you said 'un mano a mano', as a noun, it would mean one versus
another, but if you use in another context , for example, 'trabajar mano a
mano' (work hand in hand) it means the opposite, to work together, helping
each other and going for the same objective.

How vividly do I recall learning this word at age 13, reading Juliet's first
breathless words to Romeo as he takes her hand after crashing the Capulets'
ball! When Romeo suggests that his lips are "two blushing pilgrims" who
would kiss her hand to soothe his rough touch, she replies, "Good pilgrim,
you do wrong your hand too much/Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For
saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch/And palm to palm is holy
palmers' kiss." Still think it's some of the best flirting on the planet!
(text;
video, 3 min.)